When our nation faces a recession, it becomes receptive to the notion of gardening for both economic benefit and pleasure.  Imagine new vegetable gardens across the countrysides, in the suburbs and patched throughout the cities.  As we face food price hikes—despite relief in gas prices—and cancel big-ticket purchases and investments, we turn to our gardens […]

In ‘Second Summer‘ I showed a few fine blooming garden beds still in excellent shape in late October.  A freak snowstorm occurred on Tuesday, October 28th.  However, we continued to enjoy a long, beautiful, cool autumn here at Fordhook.  Summer’s “second number” is almost 10 weeks long.  The only big differences are the poignancy of […]

The sculptor Densaburo Oku, or “Dense” or “Mr. Oku”, in his workshop. He had already a distinguished career in Japan before coming to the US twenty years ago. He casts, molds and blows glass and works metal. We have ten fish by Densaburo Oku. The metal combines found and reworked parts, and the glass is […]

Photos by Mary Kliwinski View of Dahlia Research Trials Research Director Grace Romero 2001 Heronswood Garden at Fordhook, renamed Carolina Garden for my mother. Memorial for my mother, Caroline Vivian Ball. Partial view of new Heronswood Gardens Upper Pond Lower Pond – the total planted area at Fordhook Farm in 2009 will be about 12 […]

Photo by Mary Kliwinski Photo by Mary Kliwinski Photo by Mary Kliwinski Photo by Mary Kliwinski Photo by Mary Kliwinski Photo by Mary Kliwinski Photo by Mary Kliwinski Photo by Mary Kliwinski Photo by Mary Kliwinski Photo by Mary Kliwinski

We published a first version of this light-hearted piece in early 1996 in our old ‘Burpee Home Gardener’ magazine.  However, I announced later that I was actually forming the Garden Party—and I did!  The Philadelphia Inquirer covered it and CBS radio interviewed me “on the street” in Chicago, where I attended a few small rallies […]

Photo by Mary Kliwinski Photo by Mary Kliwinski Photo by Mary Kliwinski Photo by Mary Kliwinski Photo by Mary Kliwinski Photo by Mary Kliwinski Photo by Mary Kliwinski Photo by Mary Kliwinski Photo by Mary Kliwinski Photo by Mary Kliwinski Photo by Mary Kliwinski Photo by Mary Kliwinski

Photo by Mary Kliwinski Photo by Mary Kliwinski Photo by Mary Kliwinski Photo by Mary Kliwinski Photo by Mary Kliwinski Photo by Mary Kliwinski Photo by Mary Kliwinski Photo by Mary Kliwinski Photo by Mary Kliwinski Photo by Mary Kliwinski Photo by Mary Kliwinski Photo by Mary Kliwinski And above Butterfly Hill… Photo by Mary […]

Photo by Mary Kliwinski Photo by Mary Kliwinski Photo by Mary Kliwinski Photo by Mary Kliwinski Photo by Mary Kliwinski Photo by Mary Kliwinski Photo by Mary Kliwinski Photo by Mary Kliwinski

“Bamboo” view from the south Photo by Kenneth Ek The artist, Steve Tobin, found unusually patterned scrap metal up near Reading. There used to be dozens of steel mills and hundreds of fabrication shops in southeastern PA, an embarrassment of riches to a sculptor. “Bamboo” view from the north Photo by Kenneth Ek I worked […]